The BMW Neue Klasse of sport sedans was a revelation when introduced, offering sharp handling and respectable acceleration out of limited displacement. While we tend to gravitate towards the 2002 and E9 coupes as the darlings of this era, cars like the 1969 BMW 1600 shown here on craigslist are more appropriate examples of how BMW dug itself out of financial despair into the powerhouse it is today. The seller is asking $23,000 for this 1600 which he describes as “all original.”
Thanks to Barn Finds reader numskal for the find. The asking price here is fairly heady, especially in today’s cooling market for classic cars. The 1600 was effectively the precursor to the 2002 and set the stage for BMW to produce the model that effectively birthed the sports sedan class. While the 1600 was indeed a preview of what was to come, it was identical to the 2002 in many ways – which may explain why the seller is asking strong money, given a 2002 in similar condition would likely command a price in the low 20s.
And really, as you work your way through the details, it’s not hard to see why the 1600 is worthy of a fair price. The bodywork looks a bit dull but it’s also incredibly honey – and the paint looks original, at least from where I’m sitting. The interior is in a similar state of preservation, with what appear to be vintage coco-style floormats and pristine bucket seat upholstery. Though we can’t see all of the dash, if it’s uncracked, that’s another win, and it wears vintage Sigla-stamped windshield glass, too.
The engine bay sports consistently-aged paint, just like the outside, and I’m assuming the seller’s “all original” description carries over to the engine and transmission as well. Photos from under the car show a very clean, dry, and rust-free chassis, and if this 1600 has lived in California all of its life, it certainly has all the hallmarks to show for it. While the 2002 is the car everyone wants, there’s no shame in paying real money for an earlier 1600 as clean as this one.
I have owned a couple of 2002, and driven a few 1600-2 (which they were officially named to separate them from the 1600 4-door Neue Klasse model) While the 1600 is certainly not as quick as the 2002, it is still a very enjoyable car. The engine is smooth and the car is light enough that the lower horsepower is not a big deal.
My brother sold BMW in Sweden back in the mid-80’s and at that time he found it interesting that he would somewhat frequently trade in 1600 from original owners trading up to a new E30 318i, but he never saw a 2002 being traded in. It was just something about the 1600 that had appealed to single men in the late 30’s or early 40’s that were willing to pay for the fine engineering but not splurging on the larger engine and they then held on to the cars for almost 20 years. And my brother chuckled about these men never spending on any options for their new E30 either. No metallic paint, no sunroof, standard steel rims. What would those introverted single engineers buy today? If I look at my younger colleagues it seems as if the current Hyundai Elantra is the car of choice. Small enough, reasonably priced and good enough to drive.
Back in my 20’s when I was working at the Saab/Alfa dealer a customer who owned a Saab also bought his 75 02 for me to work on. That was my first experience with the series. Fast forward a couple years and a friend of mine found a 69 1600 for under 2K that was in similar condition to this one. Going into my test drive my preconception was this would be a real Ho hum car to drive. That was shattered when I came back with a smile on my face and said I wouldn’t do a damn thing this car drives so nice! It embodied everything about what BMW was at the time. Pure Teutonic bliss and you didn’t have to be pulling sub 6 seconds 0-60 or .9g on the skid pad to enjoy driving this car. Any BMW newer than the mid 90’s is just another Hyundai or any other appliance on the road today. Pick your flavor.
A friend bought one new back in the day, and it was indeed a revelation. I never drove a 2002 but understand they were heavier in the front. 1600 was a great car.
Wow- that’s a lot of money for this. Not sure of the value. It does look like a good car.
I had a 1967 BMW 1600 in 1976. It was green, had 125K miles on it and needed a little TLC. It was fun to drive, It had a factory sunroof, and in the cooler months, I could drive with it open and the heater on. AM/FM/SW Blaupunkt radio that would get Eastern European stations late in the evening. I had to replace the transmission due to a 2nd gear syncro issue. I took the transmission to a dealer that gave me a good quote on the rebuild. He later called me and said he couldn’t fix it without a lot mor labor and parts. I took the transmission home in a box and a friend’s dad sold me a used one for 150. The engines were bullet proof, but the trannys were not. Almost all had 2nd gear synchro problems. I wish I still had that car. It was a great cruiser, 80 mph on the highway at 25mpg all day long.
Not many remain because not many were imported (compared to the 2002) and they were the “cheap” BMW. Most rusted and ended up in scrapyards, sadly.